Why Gift Vouchers are a Clever Marketing Tool
How you can use Gift Vouchers as a marketing tool.
We believe that hotels can differentiate by offering unique experiences in gift vouchers. They are easy to set up in your CMS and can either offer a monetary value or be a complete package including accommodation. Payment can be done offline or a full purchase made online.
1. Gift vouchers enable you to reach consumers that you typically would not reach, representing a means of stimulating additional purchases.
2. Gift vouchers are highly targeted and the receiver is certainly motivated to use them, making it an even more efficient method of spreading your services to others.
3. Gift vouchers are personal proposals of satisfied customers, building your hotel’s credibility and reputation.
Promoting gift vouchers is a great way of maximising your property’s revenue and visibility around what people can experience at your property. More importantly, they enable you to promote any characteristic that is distinctive for your property, enabling you to stand out from your competitors.
There are great advantages for you as the property owner and excellent benefits for the customer.
Advantages for the Property
1. Increase visibility of your property, by attracting new customers.
If someone offers a gift certificate, he is naturally encouraging others to purchase your services. Moreover, if the receiver is satisfied with your business there is a greater probability this person will return for more purchases, increasing customer loyalty.
2. Boost in cash. Given its gift nature, an obvious consequence of this product is that it will typically boost cash in the holiday season. For example, during Christmas time you will certainly notice a peak in demand, but not necessarily in occupation.
3. Can be mostly automated. Gift certificates are just another payment method. Your booking engine should be able to redeem them, and if your website already has a payment gateway, cash will go straight into your account.
4. Increase brand awareness. Make sure to present a well designed voucher with images and clean branding that shows off your property. This is yet another marketing strategy that will help advertise your service and your brand will reach people that might otherwise not have known about your services.
5. Gift certificates expire. For hoteliers this converts into an additional advantage since cash is not reimbursed to customers who do not use their gift card or do not redeem its entire value.
Advantages for your Customers
On the other hand, gift certificates also deliver great benefits to customers. The key advantages are as follows:
Flexibility. Gift certificates do not have a specific date to be consumed; they have an expiration date and can be used any time between the date they are received and the end date. Furthermore, they also allow the cardholder to choose from a range of experiences or inside a certain budget, depending on the type of gift voucher. Easy to choose. Flexibility means that consumers can quickly decide to buy. Customers can purchase effortlessly online, within a click, making the acquisition possible anywhere. Custom-made to meet specific needs. Buyers can choose to add a message or name. This allows consumers to send an individualised gift, which can be personalised within certain standards in order to best fit their friends’ or colleagues’ tastes.
Ease of delivery. This is a gift that can travel beyond boundaries. Easily sent abroad, it can be delivered via post or e-mail. Additionally, the latter has the benefit of having less chance of getting lost and can be purchased and delivered 24/7. A great option for a last minute gift option.
Gift vouchers clearly provide a unique marketing tool to promote your property, build your client base, provide additional services to existing satisfied clients and increase your revenue streams.
All Insight Articles